Recently, there has been a growing need to develop systems and methods to combat counterfeit products. In the case of aircraft parts, drugs and food products such as baby formula, the consequences of counterfeit products can have devastating effects on health and equipment. Counterfeit national currency has also become a growing concern.
As recognizable as some brand names are with respect to general consumable products, unscrupulous parties commonly market counterfeit products to unknowing customers. There is lost revenue to the real Trademark/Trade Name holder when these counterfeit products are bought and sold. In addition, in the case of ink jet products or toner products for example, these counterfeit products often damage the systems into which they are placed. As the counterfeit was not realized, the real Trademark/Trade Name holder is often the party approached for repair or replacement, even though they were not the source of the counterfeit product.
Manufacturers of products have begun to incorporate systems and methods in an effort to thwart such counterfeit activity. Generally speaking, these systems and methods can be categorized into four basic groups:                1) Printed Materials such as, for example, hologram, fine patters of printed ink, watermarks and the like;        2) Printing Related Items such as, for example, inks that change color with the viewing angle, controlled sources of paper (e.g., currency paper) and the like;        3) Computer Systems such as special chips that are active or passive and wireless circuits; and        4) Control Numbers such as, for example, serial numbers that have some relation to the product or hash codes that are uniquely generated.        
Anti-counterfeit measures generally attempt to address two elements: difficulty of forgery, in other words, a system or method that is difficult to forge; and ease of use—a system or method that is easily to use and/or recognize and verify. Ease of use is quite important as an effective method or system will typically be used by everyday people in everyday commerce with a wide range of skills in a variety of settings.
In many cases, the anti-counterfeit measure is meant to be optically detected, for example in the case of a dollar bill. Although the bill is printed on special paper with special ink and high resolution elements, optical dollar bill scanners often query only the image provided on the bill. A high-resolution photograph of a dollar bill may therefore be as acceptable to some optical scanning systems as a real dollar itself.
That a picture of a dollar bill may confuse an optical scanner but appear obviously different from a real dollar bill to a human observer highlights yet another consideration in anti-counterfeit technology. Namely, that detection by both persons and non-persons is frequently desired, but may be difficult to achieve.
When an anti-counterfeiting system and method are employed, the elements of the system are often analyzed and meticulously duplicated, such as in the case of holographic stickers or emblems. Originally, holographic emblems and stickers seemed ideal devices to indicate authenticity. However, as sophisticated technologies have advanced in micro-scale fabrication techniques, the ability to render counterfeit holograms has also advanced.
As a retort, attempts have been made to develop anti-counterfeit devices that are destroyed if removed from an authentic source, as is typically required for counterfeit duplication or use. Although somewhat effective, counterfeit duplication and use remains a concern.
The micro-miniaturization of electrical systems and electro-mechanical systems has advanced significantly. There is typically a high cost associated with micro-minaturization fabrication processes such as photolithography. Mass production, such as with roll-to-roll technology, can be difficult to achieve. Whereas a transistor or memory element at the heart of a component may justify the expense for a lithographic fabrication process, an anti-counterfeiting system or method affixed to an article of manufacture generally has not justified such expense
Hence, there is a need for an anti-counterfeiting system and/or method that significantly thwarts duplication and counterfeiting while also being cost effective to manufacture, provide and utilize.